Mt. Itasca, Coleraine, Minnesota -- National Junior Team athlete, Carolyn Treacy, of Duluth, MN captured the final competition of the combined World University Games / World Junior Biathlon Championships Trials, outdistancing the field by 57 seconds.

Treacy, second overall in Wednesday's pursuit competition, shot clean today in winning the Women's 6K Relay Format Sprint. This assured her a spot on the team for both upcoming international competitions. Second overall and the first senior woman was Denise Teela, winner on the previous two days. Teela, in her first year of biathlon competition, suffered 2 shooting penalties from the standing position, finishing in 21:34. Second and third in the senior women's category were Sarah Riley and Sarah Granroth, both competing for the US Olympic Education Center in Marquette, MI. They were timed in 21:36 and 22:06, with zero penalties.

Following Treacy in the junior women's category were the twins from Durango, CO, Tracy and Lanny Barnes at 22:14 and 22:17, respectively. Although close in time, Tracy out shot her sister, zero penalties to one.

The Men's 7.5K competition was almost won by a junior. National Development Team member Jacob Beste, of Minneapolis, MN held off the National Junior Team's Tim Burke, 23:30 to 23:34. Both were perfect on the shooting range. The win was Beste's first of the trials and his first win ever at a biathlon trials or championship. Burke, of Paul Smiths, NY won two Senior National Biathlon titles in 2002, both times winning over Beste. Hastings, Minnesota's Dan Campbell in 23:51 and Lake Placid, New York's Lowell Bailey at 24:18 followed Beste.

Burke, the junior winner in all three of this trials' series, joins Treacy on both the WUG and WJBC squads. Second junior was Walter Shepard of Yarmouth, ME, with no penalties, in 23:54. Burke and Shepard's training partner, Anders, Osthus of Duluth, MN garnered his first podium finish in third with a time of 24:31. Both Shepard and Osthus had no penalties.

The youth categories saw first time winners in Kelsy Buchard of Fort Kent, ME and Kevin Padzoldt from Grand Rapids. Buchard, with her first victory topped Annilies Cook from Saranac Lake, NY by six seconds, 23:44 to 23:50, while Grand Rapids' Brynden Manbeck claimed third in 24:01. The second and third positions for youth men went to Kurt Farchmin of Duluth, MN and Ben Byrne of Grand Rapids in 25:41 and 25:26, respectively. All of the top finishers in the youth categories shot clean.

Athletes named to the World University Games Biathlon Team are:

		
Women                                   Men
Denise Teela, 23, Anchorage, AK         Jacob Beste, 23, Minneapolis, MN
Sarah Riley, 21, Marquette, MI          Jesse Downs, 25, Sylvan Beach, NY
Carolyn Treacy*, 20, Duluth, MN         Lowell Bailey, 21, Lake Placid, NY
Lanny Barnes*, 20, Durango, CO          Tim Burke*, 20, Paul Smiths, NY
Tracy Barnes*, 20, Durango, CO          Walter Shepard*, 20,Yarmouth, ME
Annilies Cook*, 18, Saranac Lake, NY    Brian Olsen*, 20, Bloomington, MN

Athletes named only to the World Junior Biathlon Championships Team are:

Women                                    Men
Kelsy Buchard,17, Fort Kent,  ME         Kurt Farchmin,18,Duluth, MN
Sonne Nordgren,   , Marine, MN           Kevin Padzoldt,18,Grand Rapids, MN
Brynden, Manbeck,  , Grand Rapids, MN    Ben Byrne,17, Grand Rapids, MN
                                         Nathan Erlandsen,18,Grand Rapids,MN
                                         Adam Van Straten,19, Duluth, MN

All of the athletes competing in the World University Games in Taravisio, Italy Jan 19-27 as well as some of those competing in only WJBC will depart for Europe this weekend. They will compete in 2 Europa Cup competitions prior to WUG and WJBC. Dan Campbell, not eligible for WUG will also compete in the Europa Cups.

Complete results of the competitions can be found at the Minnesota Biathlon website, www.minnesotabiathlon.com or www.skinnyski.com.

The US Biathlon Team competes under the auspices of the United States Biathlon Association, the National Governing Body for the Olympic sport of Biathlon. Federal Cartridge, adidas, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and Exel Ski Poles sponsor the US Biathlon Team.